4 reasons you may be unhappy at work, and how to fix them

I meet a lot of people who are unhappy with their work situation but when I ask them what they really want, they’re not sure. What’s your reason? Do you want…

More money?

There’s lots of evidence that happiness doesn’t increase when you go above a certain level of income and even when your salary goes up, the satisfaction is often short-lived. If you are struggling to pay the bills then of course you need to earn more or reduce your bills but if you’re out of that category, money may not be what you want.

More time?

Work-life balance is now recognised as important but that’s often related to ensuring you only work your hours or that you don’t take work home. Could it be that you want more time than work can give you? – Do you want to work school hours or just 4 days a week?

More meaning?

Are your values aligned with your work’s values? If you disagree with what the company does or produces or the way that they do it, you may feel uncomfortable at work or even to admitting who you work for. This can bring you down more than you think.

Nicer colleagues?

Is it the people at work that are making you unhappy? Does your team work as individuals and jealously guard their specialities or their clients? Do you feel like you don’t fit? Maybe your boss or your colleagues just don’t understand you. Are you expected to do things you feel you are not suited to?

Finding your way

As a coach I help people discover what is contributing to their feelings of unhappiness and then work to find ways to improve them. Everyone has options but so many people choose to remain unhappy as if that’s the easy option. Your work is a major part of your life; it’s not something to be endured.

My work satisfaction comes from hearing my clients say ‘I managed to switch off from work all weekend, now I’ve got a better way to manage that tricky relationship at work’, ‘I’ve been able to reduce my workload, now I’ve found better ways to manage my team’, ‘I feel much better now I’ve worked out the direction I want to take with my career’ ‘I actually look forward to Monday morning now’